Positives: A fine all-around athlete who is versatile and can play anywhere in the secondary. Generally covered the oppositionâ€™s best receiver in â€™99. Has the desired size for cornerback, good range and above-average man-on-man coverage skills. Has excellent ball skills. Plays the ball very well. Will work on his game and study films of the receivers he will be guarding.
Negatives: Not that consistent. Needs additional work in coverage. May not be quite as quick and sudden as scouts would like a cornerback to be. Lacks good CB hips.

Summary: A bigger cornerback with enough cover skills to play that position and with starting potential at safety. With really good workouts, Sanders could move into the Chad Scott class of prospects. Was not entirely healthy at the Combine and had a slightly disappointing workout. The two most impressive things about Sanders as a corner are his size and ball skills.

Scouts Inc. has developed its own grading scale to better distinguish players of similar abilities in the NFL. Below is a breakdown of that scale and a glossary of the alerts Scouts uses to flag players with specific concerns.

100-90: Elite Player
Player demonstrates rare abilities and can create mismatches that have an obvious impact on the game ... Premier NFL player who has all the skills to consistently play at a championship level ... Rates as one of the top players in the league at his position.

89-80: Outstanding Player
Player has abilities to create mismatches versus most opponents in the NFL ... A feature player who has an impact on the outcome of the game ... Cannot be shut down by a single player and plays on a consistent level week-in and week-out.

79-70: Good Starter
Solid starter who is close to being an outstanding player ... Has few weaknesses and will usually win his individual matchup but does not dominate in every game, especially when matched up against the top players in the league.

69-60: Average Starter
A valuable roster player but is not dominant against the better players he faces on a week-to-week basis... Gives great effort and you are glad that he is on your team, but he may or may not go to the next level.

59- 50: Good Backup
A player who is on the bubble and starts only because of a deficiency at the position ... He lacks complete overall skills, and although he will battle he will hinder his team's ability to play at a championship level if he is forced to be in the starting lineup consistently over a 16-game season ... A player you don't mind having on your team but someone you are always looking to upgrade.

49-40: Below Average Backup/Core Special Teamers
Strictly a backup player who is not capable of starting ... If he is forced to start he is no more than a short-term fix ... He may make the team because of special teams contributions or experience ... A player you are always looking to upgrade as he will always be a borderline roster guy.

30: Rookie -- Post-draft
No professional tape to evaluate ... Will have a college report but will not get an NFL grade until the spring after his rookie season ... Will carry the 30 grade throughout his first NFL season.

20: Developmental Player
A player with very little film to evaluate ... A guy who might show "flashes" in the preseason but does not have any regular-season views ... He has very little experience but he has to be tracked due to his developmental potential.

10: Evaluation in Process -- Need More Information

Alerts glossary
A - Age/Declining Player (Player may be starting to decline)
B - Bulk/Size (Player lacks size/bulk for position)
C - Character (Problems on and off the field)
D - Durability (Player who cannot stay healthy)
E - Experience (Player lacks game or position experience)
I - Injury (Player coming off injury that may affect play)
M - Mental (Player does not learn and retain the system)
O - Overachiever (Player lacks the athletic ability and skills)
R - Rookie
S - Speed (Player lacks ideal speed for the position)
T - Special Teams Value
U - Underachiever (Player does not play up to ability)
Y - Developmental Player
â†‘ - Ascending player
â†“ - Descending player

Comment: Bryant is athletic, instinctive and experienced. He has good cover skills and plays with a lot of confidence. He has fluid hips and can turn and run with most receivers. He is at his best chasing vertical routes on the perimeter. He is efficient, wastes little motion and gives up few big plays. He is competitive and technically sound. He is a wrap-up tackler in the open field. But Bryant is small and not very physical. He struggles in run support. He has trouble with bigger receivers who push off to create separation. He won't win many physical battles, especially on jump balls. His recognition skills seem questionable. He doesn't seem to be around the ball much or make many big plays. He tends to give a cushion and doesn't close very well on the ball. His size, age and injury history make durability a concern. He lost most of 2005 to a dislocated shoulder.

Comment: Sanders has bounced around the league as a part time starter, but primarily a backup corner. He has the size, speed and quickness to play corner in the league. The issue is he can generally be in position to break up a pass but the ball tends to get through for a completion. He lacks great awareness, vision and ball skills once the ball is in the air. He is best suited for the nickel package when he can line up with the opponent's big wide receiver that is not quite as quick and nifty as the slot receivers usually are. With his size and strength he can be effective once he gets his hands on the receiver to re-route them. He is a little tight in the hips and struggles in transition. He works best when he can line up tight and run with receivers from a trail alignment. While he is willing in run support, he does not play big and is not the most sure tackler.

Comment: Webster is fluid, experienced and versatile. He gives very good effort and plays bigger than his listed size. He is athletic, has a smooth pedal and transitions well in coverage. He is more natural from a press than off position. He has decent ball skills and flashes the ability to find the ball over his shoulder and break up passes. He shows some toughness in run support. He is a willing insert player who will force from an outside-in position. He prefers to go low but is a pretty reliable open-field tackler. Still, Webster is undersized and lacks ideal speed. He gets separated from receivers on a regular basis on crossing routes. He loses a step at break points and lacks a recovery burst. He needs an extra step to get his hips aligned and break downhill when closing on underneath routes. He gives up a lot of balls in front of him.

Comment: Williams is a huge strong safety who does his best work close to the formation but is a liability in coverage, and his production drops the further he is from the line of scrimmage. Williams had a solid stay in Tennessee before hurting his knee and signing with Minnesota. His season with the Vikings ended when he fractured his kneecap in August of 2006. He is a physical tackler and able to lay a big hit. He is aggressive and works hard to make plays. He can be very physical re-routing receivers. Williams is slow changing directions and has to prove he can stay healthy. He doesn't offer much as a blitzer or pass rusher and doesn't get his hands on many interceptions. He also takes false steps at times and will bite on play-action and misdirection. Williams' stock is dropping very rapidly.

Bryant gives us alot of flexibility in the draft. He could start if needed, so we don't HAVE to reach for a CB. The way it is now, unless they think that Merriweather is a true option at CB, which he could be, they have to think CB in Rd 1, 2 or early 3.

Absolutely! What the hell is wrong with that group? Only 2nd in the league in sacks is simply unacceptable, despite their having the fewest defensive snaps in the league . The way those players are coddled by the media and some fans, you'd think that the team went 16-0 in the regular season and was just minutes away from becoming the first team in NFL history to go 19-0 or something...

Absolutely! What the hell is wrong with that group? Only 2nd in the league in sacks is simply unacceptable, despite their having the fewest defensive snaps in the league . The way those players are coddled by the media and some fans, you'd think that the team went 16-0 in the regular season and was just minutes away from becoming the first team in NFL history to go 19-0 or something...

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Of course opposing offenses spent most of the 1st half of the season in passing situations which makes rushing the passer easier.

Statistics can be helpful, but our defense is predicated on the rush coming from any of the four linebackers. Bruschi is now zero threat to rush, where he used to be quite effective. Seau is probably as effective as a Phifer or Johnson.

We had a good, albeit predictable outside rush with Vrable and colvin. Other than that we needed to blitz from the secondary.

If Bryant and Webster's major flaws are that they gamble too much that won't be a problem here.

The Patriots frown on gambling period. That's going to be drilled into them. That's why some CBs don't necessarilly want to play here - because while the D might be solid they won't pad their stats. That's not to say they won't get INTs - but they do need to be patient. Samuel certainly got his and he played within the system.

Sanders sounds like someone who might be better off facing the ball, serving as depth at FS or SS.

If Bryant and Webster's major flaws are that they gamble too much that won't be a problem here.

The Patriots frown on gambling period. That's going to be drilled into them. That's why some CBs don't necessarilly want to play here - because while the D might be solid they won't pad their stats. That's not to say they won't get INTs - but they do need to be patient. Samuel certainly got his and he played within the system.

Sanders sounds like someone who might be better off facing the ball, serving as depth at FS or SS.

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Ty Law and Asante Samuel gambled a lot. Difference is they were smart when they jumped routes and they usually (not always) ended in INTs. Gambling is built into the system and the way the Pats almost always guard against the big reception with over the top help allows the CBs to gamble. You just have to be wise about it, as the two best cornerbacks to have played here have shown.